Raised in Camp
by BandanaDog
Summary: Mei's childhood has been rough. She has learned everything at camp, but has no memory from before camp. Taking a look into her past, there will be plenty of adventures and explanations for things such as: Her love for fedoras and cowboy hats. Her hatred for the Ares cabin. Her relationship with her half-brothers and sisters. And lots more.
1. Dust, Honey, and Flowers

~ A quick note to those who are reading.~

This story that you are about to read includes some original characters of the 'Percy Jackson gang' (as I call them) but they are not a major part. This story runs through my memories that I didn't even know I had. Until now, of course. So read on if you'd like, but if you want to read something about Percy, Annabeth, and Grover saving the world again, this isn't it.

Mischieviously to All,

Daughter of Hermes,

Mei

_Age Five_

It was a bright, sunny, and burning hot day in southeast Oklahoma. A little girl with naturally blonde hair skipped along a field of knee-high wild grass, holding her mother's hand. " Look, Mommy, look!" The little girl squealed with joy and started pulling on her mom's hand, going towards a small yellow flower that was sticking up out of the sea of light green, gently swaying stalks of grass.

~~~~~ I'm very sorry for interrupting so soon. I promise I won't do this again. Well, not unless there's a need to. I just feel that at this moment, there's a need for an introduction. This little girl is little me. Little Mei if I must say. Her mother's name is Wendi. Now, the reason I didn't say 'My mother's name'... well, you'll find out for yourself. ~~~~~

Wendi let out a gentle laugh, one that sounded musical, almost like the sweet 'twink, twink' of the tiny golden bells she wore on a bracelet around her left wrist. " Slow down, Moo!" She smiled at her daughter, who had stopped tugging on her arm and now had a pouty look on her face.

" My name isn't Moo! It's Mei! M-ei!" Wendi ruffled Mei's hair.

"I know your real name is Mei. Moo is just a nickname."

" A...nickname?" Mei cocked her head to the side curiously.

" Yes. " Wendi smiled at her daughter brightly, brushing a strand of dark brown hair out of her eyes, and tucking it softly behind her ear. "Now what was it that you wanted to show me?"

" Oh! Oh! Oh! It's over here!" Wendi let out another musical laugh, and followed after Mei, who was tugging at her hand again. Mei let go of her mother's hand and laid down on her stomach, eye level with the small yellow flower. " Isn't it pretty, Mommy?" The flower was the color of dust and honey, and was very common where they lived. Wendi crouched down beside Mei and looked at the flower also.

" Yes it is, Moo." Wendi narrowed her eyes at Mei and a small smirk spread over her bunny-ear-pink lips. " Unlike your nice white dress that you just got covered in dirt!" Wendi scooped Mei up and fell back, sitting on the ground and tickling her shoulders and tummy. Mei laughed and squirmed around in her mother's arms.

" Sto-stop it!" Mei managed to say through childish laughter. Wendi laughed and stopped, brushing some hair out of Mei's face with her thumb and planting a gentle kiss on her daughter's forehead.

" Okay, Moo." Wendi bent down and plucked the yellow flower from the ground, putting it in Mei's hair. Mei grinned happily and let out a soft, tired yawn. Her eyes drooped and she let out a small whisper.

" Mommy?"

" Yes?"

" Will you be with me forever?"

" Why are you asking?"

" I just wanna know." Wendi rocked Mei on her lap and hummed softly as Mei drifted into a soft sleep. Wendi kissed her daughter on the forehead very softly again before answering in a whisper.

" Yes, Moo. Forever and always."


	2. Top Hats and the Mystery Man

~ A quick note to those who are reading.~

This story that you are about to read includes some original characters of the 'Percy Jackson gang' (as I call them) but they are not a major part. This story runs through my memories that I didn't even know I had. Until now, of course. So read on if you'd like, but if you want to read something about Percy, Annabeth, and Grover saving the world again, this isn't it.

Mischieviously to All,

Daughter of Hermes,

Mei

- Age 6 -

Mei's hair had become a pure golden honey color, and now fell to the small of her back. Wendi played with Mei's hair, tying it into a long ponytail, then tightening a blue ribbon around the hairbow that was wrapped tightly around it. "Momma," Mei whined, " I feel all girly!" Wendi smirked and turned her daughter around.

" Oh, calm down. It's just a ribbon." Mei pushed out her lower lip in a toddler-like pout that she had perfected.

"But-"

"Would you like a pink one instead?" Wendi interrupted, holding up a sparkly hot pink ribbon.

" NONONONONO! I love it! It's wonderful!" Mei said, letting out a nervous laugh and twirling.

"That's what I thought." Wendi laughed musically, a small smirk tugging at the corner of her lips. Suddenly there was a soft rapping heard at their door. Wendi's head turned towards the noise, as did Mei's. After a couple of seconds the sound was heard again, this time a slight bit of impatience tinted the knocking. " Stay here, Moo." Wendi grinned at Mei and giving her a soft kiss on the forehead. Mei smiled back and rubbed her forehead with the back of her hand. Her mom released a small laugh because of Mei rubbing the kiss off, before she turned and headed to the door, her flip flops clopping along the wooden floor boards. As she opened up the door, the figure of a tall, bigger built man appeared. He wore a dust-coated white shirt with fancy black dress pants and a top hat. Wendi raised an eyebrow.

" Hello, M'lady." The man said, with a flourished bow. He took of his top hat and flashed a brilliant smile at Wendi. "May I speak to you? I'm new here, and I live near this fine home of yours."

Wendi liked the man's clear, pure accented voice, and stepped aside. " You may come in, if you'd like." She said quietly, giving him a soft grin.

" Thank-you." He stepped into the house and glanced around quietly.

Mei peered over at the mystery man and crinkled her nose, for there was a scent coming off of him. It smelled somewhat like a mix between burnt cupcakes and rotten eggs, and she couldn't place exactly what it was. The man spotted Mei and his brilliant smile turned into a wicked grin towards her, his eyes flashing red quickly. Mei gasped and took a step back, not sure who or what this man was.

Wendi looked at Mei softly. "That's my daughter. Will you go to your room, Moo? I think I'm going to talk with this man for a minute."

Mei sped off into her room, jumping onto her quilted sheets that were spread sloppily on her bed, grabbing a tiny golden bunny rabbit toy and curling up in a corner cuddling it, surrounded by other teddy bears, bunny rabbits, and other toys of various shapes and sizes.

The man turned towards Wendi again, his smile back to be soft, clear, and brilliant. His eyes were a soft lavender blue, and they had a glimmer of happiness in them. Wendi grinned back at him and invited him to sit down at the small kitchen table. She sat down on one end and he sat across from her. " So what might your name be?" The man clasped his hands together on the table.

" I'm Wendi," She replied softly.

" Wonderful name, Wendi is. Maybe M'Lady Wendi could show me around this fine town in Oklahoma?" His eyes gleamed, and, maybe if Wendi was looking for it, she would've seen the tiny spark of mischief and evil in them. Her cheeks turned a faint pink from a small blush, and she gave a small nod.

"Yes. Yes, that would be lovely."


	3. Rescued by a Jogger

~ A quick note to those who are reading.~

This story that you are about to read includes some original characters of the 'Percy Jackson gang' (as I call them) but they are not a major part. This story runs through my memories that I didn't even know I had. Until now, of course. So read on if you'd like, but if you want to read something about Percy, Annabeth, and Grover saving the world again, this isn't it.

Mischieviously to All,

Daughter of Hermes,

Mei

- A Few Days Later -

A knock was heard at the door of their little house. Wendi ran out of Mei's room quickly to answer it, holding onto the edge of her straw sun hat so that it wouldn't fly off. " Moo! He's here!"

" I can't find Fluffy!" Mei yelled back, throwing stuffed animals off her bed, looking for her tiny golden bunny rabbit toy.

Wendi laughed gently, then opened the door for the man that Mei had nicknamed Top-Hat-Red-Eye-Guy. He shined that familiar pure-white smile at her, giving her a bow like he did the first time they met. " M'Lady Wendi, how very...nice...to see you today." He looked up from his bow and his smile turned wicked. He straightened from his bow and took a step towards Wendi, into the house. Wendi noticed how his smile had changed, and she took a step back.

" What is it? Do you think I would hurt you?!" The man's wonderful accent quickly changed to a monstrous voice. His eyes turned a blood red, and as Wendi opened her mouth to scream, he raised his hand and delivered a painful blow to the side of Wendi's head. She winced and clenched her jaw. " You shouldn't have had that little daughter of yours... all she's going to do is grow up to kill more of my brethren..."

The man slowly started shifting into a monster that Wendi couldn't identify. He kicked her in the stomach and she fell onto the ground, her breathing turning ragged as she got the breath knocked out of her. There was blood running down her cheek from where his fingernails had met her skin when he had hit her. She looked up at him with a terrified gleam in her eyes, along with quiet tears forming.

" Okay, Mommy!" Mei ran into the room where this was all happenning, holding her toy triumphantly. "I found..."

Mei looked over at the monster standing over her mother. His neck had expanded like a snake, his nose turned upward and pointed out sharp like a dagger. He had grown three times as large, his hair, that had completely fallen off by now and sharp scales had replaced it, almost touched the ceiling. His hands grew into the talons of eagles with claws that looked sharp enough to cut metal. He had grown four legs that looked thin and nimble like a spider. When Wendi had the guts to look up his pair of eyes were no longer there, and were instead replaced by red pupil-less eyes that looked sharp and filled with fire of pure hatred.

Wendi bit her lip. "What are you?"

He laughed, his laughter sending goose bumps up Wendi's arms. The monster's eyes lit up, they looked like they would explode with hatred. He raised one of his talon-like arms screaming with fury. Mei watched in terrified horror as this monster delivered a final blow to Wendi's neck. He kicked the lifeless body and it slammed into a wall near Mei. Tears came to Mei's eyes and she looked at the body in shock.

"...Mommy...?"

When no reply came, tears started streaming down Mei's cheeks, and she looked up at the monster through her blurred vision to see it angrily approaching her. A scared scream escaped her mouth as she sprinted back to her room, almost running into her wall because of how much her tears blurred her sight. She leaped onto her bed, pushing herself as far back as she could into the corner where all her stuffed animals were around her. She curled herself around Fluffy and shut her eyes tight when she heard loud footsteps coming nearer. She could smell the horrible odor of the monster, and buried her face into her stuffed animal's fur.

All of a sudden there was a loud thud. A monstrous roar. Hissing. A louder thud, ending in a sickening crack, then...silence.

The only noise audible was Mei's quiet sobs buried in the small amount of comfort of having Fluffy there. A hand was laid on Mei's shoulder and she screamed, not knowing who - or what - this was.

" Shhhh! Calm down!"

Another man's voice said, pulling Fluffy gently out of Mei's grasp, so that she could see him. She ran out of breath and opened her eyes. The man who was standing there was wearing jogging clothes. A strand of his salt-and-pepper hair fell into his face, and he quickly brushed it back in place before putting a cell phone into his pocket. " You see? Nothing to be afraid of here."

He grinned at her softly. Mei rubbed the back of her hand along her tear-stained cheek and sniffled. She came out of the corner and crawled to the edge of her bed, trembling all over. She didn't see anything except for a pile of ash outside her doorway. " Where..."

"It's gone, I promise. " He held his arms out to her, and, having nobody there except for him, she wrapped her arms around him and shut her eyes, new tears streaming down her cheeks.


	4. A New Home

Hermes landed on the ground softly, so as to not wake Mei. The wings of his sandals slowly fluttered to stillness as he thought over everything.

He thought it kind of odd, feeling such a fatherly feeling towards this little golden-haired girl in his arms. It's not that he doesn't feel fatherly towards all of his other half-blood children, he just feels more so towards this child. Maybe...maybe seeing how she is all alone in this world now has made him feel like he needs to be there for her. While at the same time she's just another half-blood child of his. That's why he's bringing her here, right...?

Just before he could continue his thoughts, he heard a soft thudding of hooves on grass approaching him. "Hermes? Why have you come here?" Chiron looked at him, not as much shocked at Hermes being there, but more at the small child in his arms.

Hermes shook his head a slight bit, removing him from his thoughts and back to the real world, where he stood in the middle of Camp Half-Blood with a five-year-old in his arms. "I have a sort of...quest...for you Chiron. Take in this child, her name is Mei."

Chiron looked at the golden-blonde haired girl. "Hermes, I don't normally care for children under their pre-teen ages..."

" She's not a baby."

"But I don't even know where to start caring for a toddler!"

"Get some of your campers to help you. There are plenty. I'm sure that at least some of them would be willing, and you never know. Mei could learn some things and maybe the other half-bloods could too." Hermes flashed a small smile.

"Well...fine."

"Good! We're at an understanding." Hermes smile spread. "Now just... make sure to care for her well." His smile saddenned a little bit, but he knew that he couldn't take this child in himself. As Chiron let out a defeated sigh and held his arms out to take the girl, Hermes looked at Mei softly. He brushed a bit of hair out of her face with his thumb, and passed her over to Chiron, suddenly feeling an emptiness in his arms. He then took out Fluffy, her toy rabbit, and put it in her arms.

Mei turned slightly in her sleep, and wrapped her arms around Fluffy. Hermes then thought about it and pulled out a golden ribbon and tied it around her finger. "Just to remember that someone is here for you." Hermes sighed sadly and looked at Chiron who was becoming only the slightest bit impatient. Hermes then turned and the wings on his sandals fluttered to life, first slowly, then faster, until he was lifted from the ground and he flew off silently.

Chiron, left with this sleeping girl - what was her name again? He sighed again and began taking her to the Hermes cabin, then thought about that. No, bad idea. Better not leave her with them until she's older... or at least awake. Might as well take her to the Big House.

Maybe she'll be able to sleep there somewhere, and I can get back to my duties running a camp while some campers take care of her. Chiron thought about that idea and nodded in approval of himself.

Yes. The campers can take care of her.


End file.
